The Earthy Spice That Deserves To Be Layered In Your Lasagna

Many chefs, whether professional or home-kitchen devotees, are very protective of their signature Italian lasagna recipes. When suggesting something new added to the dish, expect an initial reticence. But we're happy to say that most experts heartily approve of one particular addition to baked lasagna: the earthy saffron spice. 

Saffron is one of those elusive ingredients that some revere and others feel slightly intimidated by. It is, after all, the most expensive spice in the world, harvested one tiny stigma at a time from the crocus flower, which blooms only once a year in the autumn. When sprinkling those precious strands, you want to make sure the receiving dish is fully deserving of the honor. According to pros like Julia Child, lasagna certainly is — though some modern chefs take issue with how it gets added. That includes Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., owner and chef at Jasper's Italian Restaurant and host of "Live! From Jasper's Kitchen". 

The Kansas City restauranteur and master chef specializes in Italian cuisine, so a thumbs-up on saffron in lasagna puts the rest of us at ease. But here's the deal: While Julia Child loved adding a bit of saffron (and orange peel) to the tomato sauce as it simmered, chef Mirabile would only recommend adding saffron to the cheese. He adds, "Unless you were just using ricotta cheese or mozzarella, I think it would really get lost. But it would be a nice addition just to the cheese for more added flavor."

Chef Mirabile does agree with Child's idea of adding orange peels into a lasagna recipe. When it comes to the orange flavor, he notes that his family is from Sicily and loves citrus, so he's enthusiastic about its potential in lasagna. "A little bit of orange peel would be just the right ingredient to give a wonderful flavor, but also something that people really can't pick out," says the chef. "I like to have a little surprise when they are enjoying my cuisine, so this would be a great idea and addition."

When incorporating it into lasagna, chef Mirabile feels that a touch of orange in either the sauce or the cheese would work in greatly enhancing the flavor of the dish. "Kind of like we do with custard or Italian pastry cream with just a hint of orange," he says. "Same result. Delicious and maybe even a little mysterious." 

As noted in our look at 13 unexpected ingredients to elevate lasagna, Julia Child acknowledged that her cuisine was French-inspired rather than Italian, and that her lasagna with saffron and orange zest was more a French-style version. Regardless, it certainly brings a subtle new flavor element to the pasta party, drawing from European cooking techniques that span generations. For more cooking tips on making this favorite baked dish, check out the Italian way to layer your lasagna and 14 lasagna recipes you'll keep coming back to.